The #20 artist in our ambitious 120-part series - BETTER KNOW AN ACL ARTIST - are worth traveling to the festival by land, by sea, by dirigible. Not only are The Decemberists a musically talented band, they help expand our vernacular with words like dirigible. The twentieth installment is a profile of The Decemberists - the Fightin’ Castaways!!!

ARTIST:
The Decemberists

ACL DATE/TIME:
Sunday, September 16, 7:45 PM

PREVIOUS ACL APPEARANCES:
1 (2005)

WEBSITES:
Official Website
MySpace Page

BAND MEMBERS:
Colin Meloy - lead singer, songwriter, guitar
Chris Funk - guitar, multi-instrumentalist
Jenny Conlee - hammond organ, accordion, melodica, piano, keyboards
Nate Query - bass guitar, string bass
John Moen - drums, melodica)

HOMETOWN:
Portland, Oregon, USA

GENRE:
Indie Rock/Prog-Folk/Baroque Pop

MOST RECENT ALBUM:
The Crane Wife

NOTABLE ALBUMS:
Picaresque
Her Majesty
Castaways and Cutouts

FUN FACTS:
The Decemberists’ album/promotional artwork is produced by Colin Meloy’s girlfriend, Carson Ellis.

WHAT TO EXPECT:
To fully color Meloy’s imaginative story songs, the band wields an array of instruments. A casual listener might think that a band whose songs draw liberally from history and folklore would not be yawn-inducing - that casual listener would also be wrong. Compelling songs, shameless crowd-manipulation antics, and pure talent make for a great show.

MP3s:
“July, July!”
“Sons & Daughters”

VIDEO:
The Crane Wife 1 - Decemberists Live 10/27/06

The Decemberists - We Both Go Down Together (live in SF)

The Decemberists - Mariner’s Revenge Song (Live)

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